Indicator for brake testers



oct. 2s, 1924.. LSISAQS C. F.C OWDREY INDICATOR -FQR BRAKE: TEsTERs Filed March 26. 1923 2 Sheets-.Sheet l Oct. 2s 192%.

. C. F. COWDREY INDICATOR FOR BRAKE TEsTERs Filed March 26. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY :marcaron For. n

1 =v Es r. cownianiz, or rire-Une, massacnufsnrrs.

' TESTEBS.

applicati@ sied march 2e, 192s. 'serian no. 627,820.

To all whom t may concern:

4Be it known that I, CHARLES F. COWDREY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fitchburg, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented anv Improvement in Indicators for Brake Testers, of which the following description, in

- brake testing devices for testin the condition of the brakes of automobi es.

The brake testing devices of this patent and application, are provided with means for exerting a force upon a wheel of an automobile that is sutlicient to turn the v wheel under-brake resistance, and indicating of the indicator without stooping devices are provided for indicating the force required to turn a wheel under a particular application of the brake.

The present invention relates to an improved indicatorwhich is well adapted for use upon the brake testing devices above referred to, or upon various other types of brake testers. v

One important feature of the present invention resides in an indicator having a rotating head which is graduated so that the reading of the indicator may be readily observed from a position above the same, in order that a person standing near the brake testing device may readily note the reading or bend- .ing over to an uncomfortable position. v l

Another important feature of the invention resides in an indicator which will not only indicate, but will record the maximum force that is applied to a wheel to turn the same under brake resistance. 'And still another feature of the invention resides in novel means for impartin operating movement from the brake testing device to the cooperating indicator.

Other features of the invention and novel combination of parts in Yaddition to the above will be hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate one good practical form thereof.

In the` drawings: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a brake testing device in operative position adjacent an'automobile wheel and having 'the indi- (tiator ofthe present invention applied there` Fig. 2 is a perspective View of a portion of the brake testing device of Fig. 1 and shows the supporting bracket for the indicator.

Fig. .3 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of thev brake testing device and through the indicator secured thereto.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view' of the rear face of the indicating device, and i Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of Fig. 4.

The indicator of the present invention is well adapted foruse upon various' types of brake testers, and is shown as applied to the type of brake tester disclosed in my'application Serial No. 596,584, above mentioned.

This brake tester may bebrietly described as consisting of an-upstanding column 10 having a supporting base 11 at its lower end, and within the column 10 is slidably mounted a post 12 having an enlarged lower end 13 which rests on a coiled spring .14 which supports the post 12 so that it will yield downwardl under pressure. The post extends slida ly throu h a cap 15 secured to the upper end of t e column 10, and an operating lever 16 is supported by the upper portion of the post 12. This lever has a saddle 17 at one end thereof adapted toengage a spoke or other portion of the wheel 18, the brake of which is to be tested, and a rotating movement is imparted to the wheel by forcing the opposite end of the lever 16 ydownwardl The lever 16 is pivotally secured to a racket 19 by a pin 20, and this bracket may be adjusted to diEerent positions lengthwise of the post 12, and may be supported in any desired" position by the notches 21 formed in one face of this post.

As stated the present invention relates to an indicator which is adapted to cooperate with a brake testing device to indicate the force required to turn a wheel under brake Vreplish this a suporting bracket 23 is provided which .embraces the-upper part of the 'sup-- port l0, and the bracket has an enlarge- ,ment 24 at one side thereof, formed with a dat face 25 to which the indicating device 22 is secured ln the embodiment oft the invention shown, a face plate 26 is constructed te be rigidly secured against thetace 25 3y screws 27, and the tace plate has a shaft journaled therein to extend in horizontal direction. To the outer end of the it 23 is secured a 29 which is roce?, by the shaft, ant. this head may be ait by a :Screw 30 .r the shaft.

tly ed to the o the end i d desirabY that the indicators l in cui aection w l brake testers tor mobiles be so cons cted 'that the indior may he convenihw v read :trom a posibena over to l l e rotating head 29 ot there'tone7 pretery pro rally extenr flange 3l, upon the outer tace which Figso l and d, and, as will aprent 'trom Fig. 3, the head has a somewhat shaped conliguration. A. pointer 32 i. ich indicates the point at which the read- 'ig is to taizen, and which cooperates with the graduations upon the head 29 is shown, in the present case, as secured to the face plate 216 abovethe rotating head 29; however, various means might be provided for indicating the point at which the reading is to be taken. ,l

-Means is provided for causing downward movement of the post 12 to rotate the head 29, and to this end in the construction shown the 0st l2 is provided with allaterally ex@- ten 111g pin 33, the outer end of which extends inte a vertical slot 34 formed in the enlargement 2l of 'the supporting bracket. ln the outer face of the enlargement 24 is formed a. groove 35 in which the plate 36 is slidably received, and this plate'has a rearwardly extending lug 37 which is engaged by the pin 33, the construction being such that as the post 12 moves downwardly under pressure the pin 33 will engage the lug 37 and slide the plate 36 downwardly. The downward sliding movement of the plate 36 serves to operate the rack 33 having teeth which mesh with the gear 39 rigidly secured to the inner end or' the shaft 28. in the construction shown 'the rack -38 is slidably mountedl in a slot 40 formed in the inner :tace of the tace nlate 26, and lugs 4l and t2 extending lateraly from the plate 36 engage the opposite ends of the raclr 38 and impart sliding movement thereto.

.ing parts to the brake fer, so that a person 4- d'LI: e, if 1 testing con inici ci tne e autom -e may obading ol indican c graduations are termed, as'clearly shown garages Thejoperation or" the mechanism 4.tor retating thegraduated head 29 is such that as the post l2 is forced downwardly, its downward sliding movement is imparted to the plate 36 by the pin 33, and the plate $56 serves to lslide the 38 downwardly, which in turn rotates the gear 39, this rotates the shaft 23 and head secured thereto. lllfhen the downward pressure upon the post l2 is relieved, the nest will move wardly under the action et the compressed the pin will move upsimilar uio e veneration the indie g *h fsition to rvhich ably is sumethe position to which it 1 maximum downward inc n this resioevzV g I so recorder to indicate the last readg taken, a? when it desired to another reads g, the head 29 may be reno y grasped by 't e ngers and rotated manually to its initial gosition.

'ihe above ldescribed i wiicator is construction, consists but ew p and is strong and durable, so that it is no#u likely to become injured er get out ot o: 1er, and it serves not only to "dcate pressure required to rotate a i heel under a caru ticular brake resistance, out serves also to record this pressure until the head is manu ally rotated from its last position..

What is claimed is:

l.. ln combination with an automobile rotated` by Ent 0f l.

brake tester having a column and a est only, and friction means for holding the lhead in the position to which it is rotated by the maximum downward movement ont the post. l

2. lln combination with an automobile brake tester having a column and a post supported thereby for downward yielding movement, an indicator lsupported by the column including a 'rotating head having a graduated peripheral surface, a toothed raclr :for imparting rotative movement to the head, and means upon said post for imparting movement to the rack as the post is depressed but which does not impart movement to the rack as the post returns to its normal elevated position so that the head will remain in its maximum position of rotation to record the extent to which the post is de- Dressed lill] 3. In combination with an automobile brake tester having a rocking lever for rotating a wheel under brake resistance and a 4yielding support for the lever, an indicator actuated by the yielding movement of Said support during the brake testing operation, and including a vrotating head having a graduated peripheral ange disposed so that the graduations may be conveniently read from a position above the brake tester, and operating mechanism between the support and head for rotating the latter as the former yields under pressure.

4. In combination with an automobile brake tester having a column and a post slidably mounted therein for yielding downward movement, an indicator supporting bracket embracing the column, an indicator mounted upon the bracket and having a rotating head provided with a graduated surface, and means operated by the downward yielding movement of said post to rotate the head.

5. In combination with an automobile brake tester having a supporting column and a post guided thereby for downward yielding movement, an indicator supported by the column and including a Xed pointer land a graduated head rotatable adjacent the pointer, and means for imparting movenent from the post to the head to rotate the latter in one direction only so that the head will remain in the position to which it is rotated by the post, including a gear for rotating the head, a slide mounted for vertical sliding movement and having a rack cooperating with the gears, and means between the ost and slide for imparting the downward movement of the "former to the latter.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES F. oowDREY. 

